Job 40-42

Job 40-42

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

                I think we learn a lot about the importance of mankind and the relationship we have with the Almighty (God). We learn that God is all powerful and that we should not contend with him. Even when times are tough, the Lord will bless us greatly. In the case of Job he blessed him with double of what he had, as reward for being good and prevailing through the tough trials. We must also endure through the tough trials, so that we can come out ahead and the Lord will bless us for it.

Chapter 40: The Arm of God

                God asks Job; “Shall he that condendeth with the Almighty instruct him? (Job 20:2). Job needed not to contend with God and try to instruct him, God will instruct Job.

                Job responds; “…I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth” (Job 40:4)

                Job knew his place and knew that he must not contend with God.  Job only changed his tone from blaming God to humbling himself before him, but not because circumstances had changed. Job was still in misery and had lost virtually everything. The tone changed because while he once felt that God had forsaken him, now he felt and knew that God was with Him. 

 “Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee…” (Job 40:15)

God gave Job a remarkable survey of the wonders of creation in Job 38-39, including a look at many remarkable animals and their ways. Now lastly, God gives Job a look at two remarkable creatures: Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and Leviathan (Job 41).

**We don’t know much about behemoth, except that some identities range from dinosaur to crocodile to a mythological creature. Most think God had in mind what we would call the hippopotamus, one of the largest, strongest, and most dangerous land creatures in the world.

Nevertheless and extremely powerful animal.**

“…his strength in in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly” (Job 40:16)

God is essentially telling Job that if he can’t full understand or contend with a creature that God has created, then how will he contend with God (the Maker) Himself?

 Chapter 41: All Things are God (The Body of God)

After the discussion of Behemoth in Job 40:15-24, God now called Job to consider another fearful monster, Leviathan (sea monster or what some scholars believe to be a very large whale). This creature was first mentioned in Job 3:8; in that verse, Job considered how sailors and fishermen would curse the threatening Leviathan, and with the same passion he cursed the day of his birth.

                Leviathan is mentioned several places in the scriptures;

Psalm 74:12-14 refers to Leviathan as a sea serpent, and that God broke the head of the Leviathan long ago, perhaps at the creation.

Psalm 104:26 also refers to Leviathan as a sea creature.

Isaiah 27:1 speaks of the future defeat of Leviathan, also associating it with a twisted serpent that lives in the sea.

Isaiah 51:9 and Psalm 89-8-10 also speak of a serpent associated with the sea that God defeated as a demonstration of His great strength, and identifies this serpent with the name Rahab, meaning proud one.

Job 26:12-13 also refers to God’s piercing defeat of a fleeing serpent associated with the sea.

                God’s point with this description of Leviathan is to show Job just how powerless he is against this creature. If Job can not defeat this monster, how can he contend and defeat God?

                From verses 12-34 God descrbes Leviathan.

                The most prominent features mentioned;

                “…his teeth are terrible…” (Job 41:14)

                “…his neesings (sneezings) a light doth shine…” (Jib 41:18)

                “Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.” (Job 41:19)

                “Out of his nostirls goeth smokes…” (Job 41:20)

                “His breath kindeleth coals…” (Job 41:21)

                “…his neck remaineth strength…” (Job 41:22)

                “His heart is as firm as stone…” (Job 41:24) 

If mankind can’t overpower Leviathan, it can’t hope to overpower God.

Chapter 42: Job Sees God

                Job answers the Lord; “I know that… no thought can be witholden from thee” (Job 42:2)

                He continues to say; “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” (Job 42:5)

                Job here, SEES God! He commands his friends to repent and make their standings with the Lord right, through sacrifices.

                The Lord then “…gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10)

                Job is reunited with his family; his brothers and sisters and then ate bread with him in his house.

                The Lord “…blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…” (Job 42:12)

                Job lived 140 years and saw four generations of his posterity. 

1 Chronicles 21-22

1 Chronicles 21-22

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 21: David Numbers Israel

                David commands that a census be taken, to "number" Israel. This is prompted however by Satan who has his own reasoning for doing things. God allows this temptation to move David into numbering Israel because God wants to chastise David. So why was it so bad to "number" Israel? In these times a man would "number" only what belonged to him. David did not own Israel or its people, God does. If God were to command a "numbering" of his people, then the motive would be service to the Lord and doing as He had commanded. However in this instance David was only concerned with protecting and putting his trust in a "multitude" of hosts, or in other words putting his trust in numbers of a manmade army over the trust of God.

                In our daily lives we can see this happen to us on a daily basis. How often do we put our trust in something manmade or putting our trust in another man (or woman) over God? I would say quite often. We must put our trust in God. That, however, does not mean that we are free to do as we please, or to simply sit back and say that we are putting our trust in God, without any actions! To trust, or have faith in God, we must ACT. We must do all that we can in following the commandments and working hard for what we feel is right, and then and only then will the hand of God be shown in our lives.

                Joab objects to the numbering and asks David to reconsider his foolish ways. Joab knew that David's reasoning was built up in pride, wanting to know how powerful he was, perhaps to conquer a neighboring nation. In Samuel 24:4 we read that it was not only Joab who objected to the numbering, but also the captains of the army, but David however prevails in his desire to number Israel, and he was immediately sorry for doing so.

                Joab comes back to David with the census complete and finds that there are 1.3 million fighting men among the twelve tribes, which is a small portion of the 6 million people living in Israel. Although Joab did not count the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, for fear that God would strike them down and all that would remain would be those who were not numbered. God would have struck down all of Israel, but God had already done so with the deeply afflicted heart of David. David, wasn't perfect, but when he knew that he had sinned his heart was very sensitive to sin and therefore was very remorseful of his ways. David admits that he has been foolish and asks God for, forgiveness.

                God sends a messenger to David and gives him three options of Judgment to forgive his sin:

#1: 3 years of famine.

#2: 3 Months until you are defeated by your enemies.

#3: For 3 days a plague would engulf the land.

                God gave David these three options to test David's heart and wisdom:

#1: 3 years of famine would surely kill most of Israel, the wealthy and resourceful would survive by depending on neighboring nations for food.

#2: 3 Months until you are defeated by your enemies would surely mean the death of most of the soldiers, and would probably result in new enemies.

#3: For 3 days a plague would engulf the land, this would cause a great deal of death among all of Israel, no matter who; rich, poor, military...etc.

                David chooses to have 3 days of plagues. This is important, because had David chose war; his family and himself would have been protected. Had David chosen famine, his wealth would have sustained him. Therefore he humbled himself and accepted of God's punishment by choosing something that could ultimately effect himself and his loved ones. By choosing 3 days of plague he was also in the hands of God, whom he knew would be more merciful than man.

               

                The destroying angel comes and kills 70,000 men of Israel and as the destruction is happening, God steps back and relented of the disaster and commanded the angel to restrain from continuing. David seeing the destructions laments to God asking him why he had killed so many of his innocent sheep and had refrained from touching him. God then commands David to erect a altar to the Lord. So
David does as he is commanded.

               

                David goes to Ornan and asks him to build an altar where his threshingfloor stands. David buys the land for 600 shekels of God, the full price of the property. David offers peace and burnt offerings there, as a tribute to his understanding of God and his ways in destroying 70,000 of his sheep.

                David finally knows where the Lord wants his temple to be built, right there on the threshingfloor.

Chapter 22: Solomon Is to Build the Temple

                David is commanded to gather men who were foreigners in the land of Israel, which were about 70,000 slaves to build the temple of Solomon. David gathered the finest materials, cedar trees from Lebanon. The house of God would have to be magnificently built unto the Lord, so David made preparations for his son Solomon to continue building the temple after his death. David charges (gives blessing) to Solomon to complete this great work of building the House of the Lord after his death, in a sense if Solomon failed in building the temple, David failed as well. David warns Solomon to stay faithful to God and his word, in accomplishing the construction of the temple. David counsels Solomon to;

                "...be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed." (1 Chronicles 22:13)

                                This is something that we can all appreciate and place in our hearts in our daily activities. Life, after all, is tough. Our challenges we face on a day to day level are not easy ones, but if we put our trust in God and don't worry about the future or how something will come about, then we can have that courage and strength that we need to continue fighting towards our righteous individual dreams and desires.

                David prepares the construction by leaving Solomon in charge of a great deal of money and resources to ensure that the temple does get built and with all its magnificence.